I have it! I guess a yell of 'Eureka!' is in order as I pat myself on the back, or at least the shoulder because I wouldn't be likely to break my arm. I have deduced and formulated the perfect government to replace the bitter and divisive system of bad government that we have today. No more partisan attempts to take complete control of your life, although it won't end the need for political parties.

What is this grand new vision? This scrap of genius and enlightenment that was bestowed upon my humble brow? Oh, I hadn't actually got to that part yet?

I call it Dual Government.

Let us take a local city, lets just call it UrCity because it could be any of them really. Instead of the City Council that is split between factions and this or that happens depending who has won the majority of seats in the last election, there would be 2 councils elected one by Liberals and one by Conservatives. Every citizen would have to register with their state as one or the other, Libertarians and Greens are out of luck but they can infiltrate and have some fun with that, but I'll get to them later.

The local Liberal Council decides their citizens will pay local sales taxes to fund police, jail, court, fire, streets, sanitation, parks, library, local public hospital, bus service, recycling community centers for seniors, kids, hispanics, blacks, asians, gays and such. So local liberals would show their cards when they purchases and they will pay, for example 9% in sales tax to support these things.

The local Conservative Council decides they will collect taxes only for police, jail, court, fire, streets and parks and the local conservatives will pay a 4.25% sales tax. Their members would then be denied services of the local library, trash collector, bus service, recycling and community centers. Conservatives would have to pay for their trash to be hauled and for their own books and medical care. The Conservatives won't mind all of the liberal programs because they ain't paying for them. Liberals will be happy to be able to start as many social programs as they want.

Now, the liberals and conservatives will live in the same city, they will not be segregated. Businesses and service providers would have to get used to the 2-rate system. They will have the same police department and fire department, but if one chooses not to participate they will just be left out. Its almost like a dream come true for both sides of the political spectrum.

Obviously there will be some complexity. There may have to be a tax on switching to keep those who decided to become Conservatives but then want to get into the free library or the local public hospital from becoming a flood and breaking down the system. Of course there might be some Liberals deciding to go Conservative because they notice the lower tax rates, or because they want a school voucher so their child may escape the public schools

No. We will need to have a short period of time for people to change their registrations, say for 90 days before a local election, during the time of voter registration. That way all of the new citizens can have their say on the new Liberal or Conservative Councils during the elections. Isn't that a perfect time? Probably should tax those switchers too, at least a small sum.

UrCity will be paradise on Earth for both liberals and conservatives alike. All of the programs the liberals want and conservatives won't have to pay for them.

So now you are telling yourselves that this is the perfect form of government. Why can't this apply to more than just taxes and spending? Why not expand it to the poor Greens and Libertarians?

So now you want to complicate my beautiful, perfect form of government? OK, let us go through this.

Concealed Carry laws only apply to Conservatives while Liberals are banned from having a gun? and maybe those Libertarians are allowed to carry them around with the gun in a holster on their hip? (Sounds like Arizona in a way).

Drugs are only legal for the Libertarians, while the Liberals won't actually enforce their laws?

Helmet laws, speed limits and seat belts are optional for libertarians and conservatives but strictly enforced for the left?

If this applied at all levels of government, we might have Conservatives not elgible for welfare while the Liberals could end up unprotected by foreign invaders.... wait, that one might not be optional. That one needs further study.

That could get pretty weird. I suppose some of you readers will enjoy reading about Dual Governments so much that you will keep finding new examples for your amusement. This is a serious scholarly proposal here.

How about it??

So find your mayor, your state legislator and your Congressman and propose this idea! Maybe some city or county or even a state will get the ball rolling. Just one successful test of this system and I am confident it can and will spread like wildfire all across the country and even around the world. Imagine Israeli's and Palestinians.... ok, thats a bad example again.

Perhaps you are a genius, but the liberals won't like it for several reasons.

Take for example concealed carry. What's in it for the liberals? They don't own guns so why do they care if they can carry? They aren't worried about their guns, only your guns so they still would want to ban them.

Take welfare. The liberals wouldn't like your plan of not taxing the conservatives. Liberals don't work for their money, they want your money to pay for their policies.

What about work practices? Suppose a liberal works for a conservative and demands his liberal two years maternity leave to care for his new child? Or, health care for his domestic partner John? And, besides all that, the conservative doesn't want to pay the liberal living wage of $20 an hour for a janitor?

How about a liberal married to a conservative? How are the taxes figured and the social services?

I got a better idea, let's just not elect liberals or make them all live in California.

You are, in fact, a genius. I do have one little objection to your plan, though, namely, I don't think you really understand what it is to be a liberal. It doesn't mean "pay for what you get." It means "get what other people pay for and make them feel guilty about it to boot." You're gonna have to build that in. The guilt thing, I mean - "theft" covers the other thing nicely.

Wow, it is cold and windy here... in TEXAS! Its in the 30's and the wind is 'gusting' up to 40mph.... things are flying all over the place.... it knocked the lightbulb from our socket by the front door! Gusting??? Its been going all day.

The police, among others, will need to identify who is a libertarian at a distance, so as not to pull them over for speeding or other variances. To further this, each different faction will need to dress in a manner that identifies what they are.

You ARE a genius, because this is similar to the kind of government we will have one day...

And that is "subscription" government.

It's long been talked about, it is definately the way of the future - the problem is getting tyrants (petty and not) to let go of their power. Even someone with very little power, such as someone on the library board, will fight like a rabid pitbull to keep from losing it - it must be wrenched from them.

23
posted on 12/10/2003 12:35:05 AM PST
by mansion
(Voting for the "lesser of two evils" is still voting for evil...)

I know. Thats kind of the point. Their reaction to this proposal would clearly show who wants to control others' lives. Libertarians want to gripe about the WOD, but they should not ignore that liberals want to control everything.

It'll never happen because liberals do not want anyone to be free to live their own lives.

No you're not. I'm the genius. I know because I have been testing my new improved form of government on friends and acquaintances for years and it freaks them out. Every time. Shoot, some even stop talking to me and cross the street to avoid contact.

It is devilishly simpler too. To wit: nothing changes except for the UCTC (Ultimate Citizenship Trump Card). It is the result of the new method of voting. Anyone can vote at any time. Taxes can be raised without limit. The "progressives" can pass minimum wage laws of $50 an hour it wouldn't matter; they can pass "progressive" tax rates of 200%. Ditto.

The secret is the (SLUPD) (Spending List Under Penalty of Death). Here is where it gets interesting.

There is an official list of items that tax revenue can be spent on. It can be 10 items or 1000, doesn't matter. What does matter is this: Each individual taxpayer has the absolute right to choose which items on that list his taxes may be spent on. He can choose all of it to go to defense spending or to house indigent orphaned Spotted Owls. Or he can choose 10 items to support, or all 1000. There is no limit to the amount of taxation, that makes the liberals happy. There is no obligation to spend on items that violate individual conscience or common sense. That makes the conservatives happy.

What's that you say? What happens if, say, highways get 5 times the funding they need? Or the EPA gets 0.0001% of what "it" needs? Tough noogies.

It's a Democracy Baby!

43
posted on 12/11/2003 5:35:51 AM PST
by Publius6961
(40% of Californians are as dumb as a sack of rocks.)

The subtleties of the genius of my new system of government are endless. (Nothing personal, GeronL).

Judges drift into megalomania? Ha. Let's see how long they are willing to work for free. Or for just what the liberals are willing to pay. Not enough money for schools cranking out felons 24/7? So sad. Guess they'll just have to close. Not enough open space? Let's see how much is available to buy it at market price and the lost taxes in perpetuity (a scam never really examined).

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